Usually a Travel Bug is hidden in a Geocache, but in this instance the Travel Bug IS the Geocache and visa versa. Since a Travel Bug’s location frequently changes, this Geocache is (hopefully) always on the move. Check this page before you leave for your search to make sure it is still there.
How This’ll Work
The Lewis & Clark Travel Bug and The Corps of Discovery Geocache Must Remain Together! The Corps' goal is to travel back throughout the United States and hold Councils with indigenous geocaching peoples in all fifty states. The explorers are accompanied by their good luck charm, Sacagawea (at least in numismatic form) as well as Seaman, Captain Lewis' dog. Since the Captains and their company take up much of the room in the cache, there's only a logbook and a map (which accompanied the Captains on their first journey during 2002-2009) to help any Guides in bringing the Corps to their desired objective. There is some room in the cache so feel free to drop in any momentos of the Captains' travels.
This cache can be treated as a regular cache, a regular cache with a Travel Bug in it, or a Travelling Cache powered by the Travel Bug.
Regular Geocache
If you do not wish to partake in the mission of the Corps of Discovery, you may nevertheless treat this as a regular Geocache. In that instance, please sign the logbook and feel free to trade trackables or leave trinkets in the cache (except the Travel Bug of course!). Please rehide the cache well and go to the cache’s webpage and log your find.
Regular Geocache and Logging Travel Bug Inside
If you wish to meet and greet the Corps of Discovery as they travel through your land, then find the cache and have a “council” with Lewis & Clark. Our intrepid explorers are interested in meeting all indigenous people on their journey and reporting on their meetings and observations to the “Great Father” in Washington, D.C. Please leave your mark in the logbook, furnishing details about your tribe and its territory and feel free to leave wampum, tokens or other trinkets with the travelers as a memento of your meeting. Remember to write down the Tracking Number found on the dog tag attached to the Lewis & Clark Travel Bug so you can log your visit when you get home (or you can email me for the number).
Traveling Geocache and Logging Travel Bug Inside
If you decide to enlist in the Corps of Discovery and share in its historic journey (and have good reading comprehension skills) then please take the entire Geocache (with Travel Bug) home with you until you can guide the Corps to a suitable new encampment closer to their goal. Be sure to sign the muster roll and, if possible, leave a token or momento of your time acting as Guide for the Corps. If you do take the Geocache, please email me as soon as possible in order that I can change the cache webpage to alert other cachers that the Corps has moved on from its current campsite. If at all possible, please leave behind some sign, whether a rock cairn (a stack of rocks) or sticks arranged as an “X” or as a teepee frame, as a sign that someone has been there and taken the cache and therefore there is no need to scour the area for the cache. Please also log the travel bug after picking up the cache. As their guide, please find a suitable new encampment for the Corps that is safe from hostiles. Please be sure to read the Regional Geocaching Policies (wiki.groundspeak.com/display/GEO/Home) and Geocache Listing Requirements / Guidelines (http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx) before replacing the geocache so it complies with both! Then please email me immediately with the new coordinates as well as other pertinent information such as terrain and difficulty ratings, park hours, park fees (if any), recommended parking coordinates, spoiler hint, etc. DO NOT post the new coordinates on the cache page! I will update the cache page for the Corps to alert other geocachers indigenous to the new location that the Corps of Discovery is passing through on its mission. Please then "drop" the travel bug in the cache at the new coordinates in order that we have an accurate map and mileage of the Corps' travels. DO NOT take this cache unless you are going to move the Corps of Discovery soon to a new location somewhere toward its current objective (i.e., a new state they haven't visited yet)! Please hide the Corps well - we don’t want to lose them to enemy action!! Also, PLEASE DO NOT pass this cache around your circle of geo-friends but place it in the wild where others will have an opportunity to find the cache!
Feel free to upload any pictures recording the travels of the Corps of Discovery as it travels through the USA.
[1/11/2015 EDIT] Per the directive of Keystone, the Reviewer for Pennsylvania, this notice is to advise that The Corps of Discovery, a grandfathered traveling cache, should not be treated as a "pocket" cache and must not be brought to events. This unicorn must remain in the woods. Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation.
[5/31/15 EDIT] Management reserves the right to delete all finds where this cache is being treated as a pocket cache at an event.
[6/6/15 EDIT] Thanks to an appeal to Geocaching HQ, this cache is back from the dead. The continued existence of this cache however depends on everyone following the rules laid down on this cache page, on the geocaching.com website as well as by the laws and rules of the various jurisdictions that own and maintain the places where we play this game. Accordingly, before you undertake to become a Guide for the Corps and to move the Captains to a new encampment, please know and follow the rules for this cache including:
DO NOT BRING THIS CACHE TO EVENTS;
DO NOT “HIDE” THIS CACHE IN PROXIMITY TO AN EVENT (yes, that means no “hides” under the picnic table at an Event or anywhere else near an Event);
DO NOT PASS THIS CACHE AROUND YOUR CIRCLE OF GEO-FRIENDS (this includes sharing coordinates of where you have hidden the cache before the cache page is updated and enabled); and, most importantly,
DO NOT PLACE THIS CACHE IN ANY AREA THAT VIOLATES GEOCACHING POLICIES OR THE LAND POLICIES OF THE LOCAL JURISDICTION!
Management reserves the right to delete, without notice, any Found It logs that, in Management's judgment, violate the rules governing this cache. This traveling cache has been enjoyed by the geocaching community for over 13 years, please don't be the cacher that gets it archived by failing to the follow the rules of this cache.
Currently, redagain handed the cache off to Lostagn who has guided the Corps north to the Gem State, Idaho. Lostagn found an encampment for the Captains along Hwy 30 south of Hagerman. The campsite is actually on private property but was placed with permission. THERE IS NO NEED TO GO DOWN THE DRIVEWAY!! There is ample parking space on the side access road right next to the cache. The Corps is well concealed from hostiles, surrounded and topped by rocks, but any future Guide should have no problem finding the encampement.
48 down (ID, MS, AL, CO, OK, MT, WY, SD, NE, KS, FL, VT, NH, CT, MA, RI, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NY, AR, NC, SC, GA, ND, MN, IA, KY, ME, HI, OR, TX, LA, NM, NV, AZ, UT, CA, IN, TN, PA, WV, OH, IL, MO, AK and WA), 2 to go!
Please help color in the map!
Click here for a map showing The Corps' camp sites on their Second Expedition to visit all fifty states!
[UNDER CONSTRUCTION: YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK]
Thanks to Lostagn (ID), redagain, Blue Canary, Giddy Up GeO (and Peamite), Rubicon Cacher, allmondg (MS), 2Wolfes (AL), ricson917, jaylous1 (CO), LolosDream (OK), Smile Makers (MT), Pathfinder33 (WY and OK), zacknmom, sdgal, KD0XD, wy0v (SD), stargazingwoman, Itzzie, J&LA, BransonAdventure (NE), Truvtter, ottieolsen, DirtyD13 (KS), LizardSally, BiIIyBobNosePicker (FL), Camobunch (VT), CalypsoAria (NH), Tazena (CT), Geopeps (MA), foxtrott871, Dr.Evil!, njdc24 (RI), Traditional Bill (NJ), Twinklekitkat, flipflopski, PatientRock (DE), eissak, deepdish23 (MD), lpyankeefan, liveanimals, Heplercache, dave bear (VA), r.e.s.t.seekers, Ovaron (NY), Ashallond (AR), dflye, PTMY (NC), Wildman7 and Zo-greenie (SC), Super_Nate (GA), Boreal Walker (ND), jREST (MN), lagrac, LyleVB (IA), Promethium (KY), FRIED OKRA, salmondan, pineapplejuice (HI), orinth (OR, B.C., Canada and ME), Log Dawgs (TX), 2Honus (LA and NM), goblincamper2004 (NV), BMars7391 (AZ), JAC0B (UT), candcfamily, Moe311, jellis, Pirate 4 Hire (CA), Southpaw (IN), JoGPS, Monkeybrad (TN), flyingmoose, CacheDetectives, cainrcc (PA), wolffinder (WV), Wheels00 (OH), sunnyside7up, hybrids2 (IL), Hid Pro Quo (MO), mmacgown and Sakiman (AK and WA) for acting as pathfinders for The Corps.
NOTE: If you want credit for placing this cache in a state, the cache page must be updated and enabled in the new state in order to get credit.
The History of the First Expedition
2002-2009
GREAT AND GLORIOUS NEWS!
The Corps Has Reached
Its Primary Objective!
At the mouth of the Columbia River!
A GREAT DAY FOR THE REPUBLIC!
The Corps Has Returned East!!
Reporting on their Travels to President Jefferson!
Click here for a map showing The Corps' camp sites/stops on their outward journey during their First Expedition!
[UNDER CONSTRUCTION: YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK]
Click here for a map showing The Corps' camp sites/stops on their homeward bound journey on their First Expedition!
[UNDER CONSTRUCTION: YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK]
Click here for a map showing other temporary encampments and places The Corps either stopped at or visited on their homeward bound journey during their First Expedition (many courtesy of the good offices of ubercacher Corps of Discovery)!
[UNDER CONSTRUCTION: YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK]
Please be patient while the maps load.
Thanks to Sparrowhawk for bringing the Corps to its primary objective:
the Columbia River basin
Thanks also to Quest Master for escorting the Corps to their final objective:
the Jefferson Memorial
Thanks to tenebrus, softball29, Team Ferret, Quest Master, IV_Warrior, 7Searchers, Corps of Discovery, Cyclops, captainshark32, usyoopers, The Coconut Kids, rainbowranchers, PrairieGirl & GeoDogBuddy, hgdiver and Lost Brews, dog biscuit and woodenduck, SGT red jeep, LnCShkNawe, bucky&nan, Dougly_11, RAM Explorers, XVampire, zac59410, WindDrinker & Silver Streak and jdobbsr, Skywarrior, Jennifer&Dean, leonata, Docto, yumitori, High-Tech Redneck, PJ&RG, 8 Muddy Feet, Chief Paulina, mad jack & bulldog, ShrinerClown and letterman, Dan & Janet, JDBJ, BB_Hummer, hcook1, Grandpa Rocks & Grouchy Gramma, Sparrowhawk, Bob Rich, rokclimber, Kattz, bartster, super squid, katiem, Buck8Point, shanafme, Douglas535, Salvelinus (f/k/a smoochnme), PEZPATROL, BassoonPilot and jonboy for acting as pathfinders for The Corps.
The Captains are Geo-Celebrities!!
As Seen on the the Banner of the Home Page of Geocaching.com!
And Are Newsworthy!
(Well, it was a link to an article about the Captains in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before the article was apparently archived...)
And Captain Clark Has Even Meet His Decendants!
(Namely Lasa (HostaHead), WINDWAKER1, and WolfTamer!)